Amulet #7 - Meat

Prompt: Use the phrase “This isn’t going to work”

Meat, she guessed. I don’t want to know what kind.

In a way, she was relieved that she wasn’t under pain from torture, but she still found herselfconfused and frightened. For a moment, she refused to chew. The aliens barked at her with theirgravel-speech and began to appear frustrated.

When one of them placed his claws beneath her chin, she managed to choke down her forcedmeal. They spoke to her slowly, as if trying to explain the situation, but the words still made nosense. The creature that still bore the tray brought his knife downward to slice another piecefrom the slab.

The other beast stopped him with a gesture. “SSSSStop,” he said. “Thisssss isssn’t going towork.”

“It takesss a moment,” the ﬁrst alien argued.

Her eyes went wide with surprise. Though the voices were still very deep, they sounded likeperfect English in her ears. Before she could react, the larger alien began to undo her straps.

She began to struggle in an attempt to break free. Claws were pressed against her skin and kepther back ﬁxed to the table.

“Be ssstill,” a voice commanded. Immense strength held her down. Eventually, she gave in andrelaxed. “Thatssss better. There hasss been too much death. You will help ussss.”

“Help you?” she screamed. “Never!”

“We never intended harm, human. It wasss you that attacked.”

She thought back to the dark cell, and the slain guard that now lay on the ﬂoor. With a start, sherealized that he never actually threatened her. The second creature, who now rest in bloodypieces outside, was obliterated by his own holstered weapon.

“We attempted to introduce ourselves,” he continued. His voice was now completely clear. “Your kind is dangerous, and you refused to understand.”